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Kyle Busch at Phoenix.
As the NASCAR Cup Series arrives at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 15, 2026, attention has shifted toward Chevrolet’s revamped Camaro ZL1 and whether the manufacturer can finally unlock the speed teams have been chasing early in the season. The sixth race of the year brings the series to its first traditional high-speed intermediate track since Daytona, offering teams a clearer look at how their packages stack up.
For Chevrolet drivers like Kyle Busch, the weekend represents more than just another race. It’s a chance to gather important data and figure out whether the Camaro’s updated body can match the performance shown by Ford’s Mustang Dark Horse and Toyota’s Camry package during the opening stretch of the season.
Kyle Busch Focused on Finding the Right Setup at Las Vegas
Busch, a Las Vegas native and two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, said the challenge at Las Vegas lies in how different each intermediate track can feel despite sharing similar layouts. That makes the search for the right setup a constant process.
“Your setup here at Vegas is not the same as Kansas or Texas or Charlotte or any of those (other intermediates). You’re pretty different at each one of these race tracks that you go to. So (we’re) trying to pinpoint what allows us to be quicker and what allows us to be further up the pylon to compete. That’s what we’ve got to work on here this weekend to get ourselves in tune with the rest of the year.”
Las Vegas often serves as an early measuring stick for teams preparing for a run of intermediate tracks later in the season. Even small adjustments to suspension balance or aerodynamic efficiency can make a noticeable difference over long green-flag runs on the 1.5-mile oval.
For Busch and the Richard Childress Racing group, the focus remains on dialing in a package that can consistently run near the front.
Christopher Bell Sees Vegas as Key Test for Chevrolet
Toyota driver Christopher Bell believes the race could offer one of the first clear indicators of where Chevrolet stands with its new Camaro body.
“We haven’t been to a true high-speed, downforce-style track yet. So I would think that the Chevrolets, this will be a really good test for them to see where they stack up with their new car. But aside from the rest of us, it’s going to be more of the same.”
Early races on the 2026 schedule featured different track types, leaving some questions about how the various manufacturer packages would perform on intermediate tracks. Las Vegas provides the first true opportunity to evaluate that balance of speed, downforce, and tire management.
If Chevrolet teams show improved pace here, it could signal that the Camaro platform is beginning to find its footing.
Carson Hocevar Still Searching for Grip After Qualifying
Not every Chevrolet driver left qualifying feeling confident. Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar voiced frustration after struggling to find grip in his car.
“Car’s terrible. Just no grip. I’m sure we’ll fix it, but it wasn’t good.”
Despite the rough qualifying session, Hocevar pointed to Las Vegas as a track where his team has often been competitive.
“Mile-and-a-half (tracks) have been where we’ve been the best, and we’ve been really good here. Felt like we (had) winning speed in the spring, not so much in the fall. There’s a lot of times I show up here, and I think we’re really good on Saturday and we’re not good on Sunday. So hopefully it’s reverse.”
With the green flag set for Sunday afternoon, teams will quickly find out whether overnight adjustments can improve the balance of their cars. For Chevrolet drivers in particular, the race may reveal whether the Camaro’s early-season struggles are simply part of the development process or a sign that more work still lies ahead.
Dogli Wilberforce is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce
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